Talongrab Keep
|image =Scenerty.png|imagewidth = 275}} Talongrab Keep is the fortified bastion of the Order of the Citrine Eagle, and the Order's testament to the change that they hope to bring about in the Alterac Mountains. Once a proud city that stood as the capital to the Reneigh houses lands, Talongrab City found itself in shambles after the Second War. With the Citrine Eagle entering Alterac and seeking to stake a claim to a new generation of pioneering spirits within Alterac, a sizable portion of the original city has been reclaimed for use by the Order as its main fortress. Today it functions as a fortified town for the wanderers and adventurers who seek to stake a claim in a new generation of adventurers, and a base of operations for the Citrine Eagle as their staging ground to assist the Stormpike Clan in Alterac Valley. (This page will perpetually be a work in progress) =Description= ---- Talongrab is carved into one of the mountains in the far northeastern reaches of the Alterac Mountains, and heavily terraformed for settlement. Some buildings, walls, and towers are melded into the mountainside to further reinforce larger structures. Talongrab is a tiered settlement wrapped on its north to northwestern side with a long, impassible cold mountain range which wraps from the Lone Wolf Inn. to Talongrab Keep. The area, which was once sloping, had been terraformed in order to accommodate building projects and navigable roadways within the area.Areas which are not protected by the harsh mountain slopes are instead walled off with small guard towers between certain intervals. There are two main entrances - one leading directly into the main hub for the Citrine Eagle, and the other passing through a walled section of the residential area on the lower tier of the small city. The residential area is the main real estate area of the city - consisting of several homes and a few small markets in a village-style layout. Most commerce takes place on the upper level due to Talongrab Keep acting as the seat of power for Zaria Blackmoore. At the highest point on the upper level rests this keep, and in a descending slope that the roads follow, leads to the other buildings of the area - including the mage sanctum, defense towers, forge, stables, and Inn. However, as the roads lead downward, another wall was erected to reinforce the mountainside from toppling from the immense weight of the keep resting at the highest point. The area itself is a frigid place - it being right in the center of a mountainous region. Because of this, the winds from the mountains often whip downward onto the city, making it a rather harsh place to live in the colder months. The walls from the upper levels do well to protect the residential district from the awful winds from the mountains, offering a slight respite from the cold. All year round there is snowfall either dusting the area, or layering over the entirety of the city like a clean white blanket. Path and roadways are often muddled and hidden away by the snows - which means the paved roadways beneath mean little to the citizens of the city. Different pathways have been created by the people as their foot traffic tends to flatten out some of the snow to make it more easily tread if it is not shoveled, making for areas with an especially high amount of traffic being more obvious. =Notable Structures= ---- Talongrab Keep Talongrab's seat of power, and most fortified area in the old city, Talongrab keep is a focal point for all business handled within the Order of the Citrine Eagle; as well as functioning as an area for soldiers to live and be cared for in the case of an injury. Talongrab Keep consists of four large defensive towers, each connected via a terrace on the upper levels. A large bell tower has been re-purposed into a large gryphon's nest. The inside of the keep consists of a large courtyard, littered with image projection devices powered by arcane magics, programmable to display a significant enemy, or patron, building, et cetera. On the left from the courtyard is the infirmary, and on the right is the barracks. Each is made of multiple bunk beds, and recreational tables. Moving up the stairs of the keep is the main hall. A large meeting room designed to hold many for long periods of time, and the most ornate and presentable area in the keep. Hung from the wall at the back of the room behind the meeting table is a large shield, with a banner holding the orders crest draped over it. The shield looked to be a bit older, and the banner was partially frayed on the edges to hint it may have been older. At either side of the crest, relics of the past were held on shelves. Ahead of this was the meeting table with two long benches to accommodate multiple people for meetings and gatherings. This display was all held on top of a dais. The Perch Inn The Perch is the new name of the Inn within Talongrab. Once referred to as the Lone Wolf Inn, it was later destroyed in an incident that sparked an uprising in Talongrab proper. Today it has been renovated and upgraded to more efficiently provide meals, and rooms to those who wish to stay within the Inn. The Perch acts as an area for recreation for the Citrine Eagle while off-duty. Just inside, to one’s right they’d find what looked to be a bookshelf, filled with shoes. It was optional whether to wear them or not, and about half of the shelves were filled, shifting as different patrons came in and out. To the direct front of one entering, there is a pair of tables separated by a wooden support, to give each a small bit of privacy from each other. On the pillar, a smaller bounty board and collection of wanted posts hung, ready for adventurers to take and complete. Over the tables two landscape scenes hung: one of Gilneas, before the tearing down of the Greymane Wall, another, to the left and slightly above, of Thousand Needles before the Cataclysm destroyed. Turning left, one would find a collection of casks awaiting use along the wall, and a bar with bottles and jars of drink just past these casks. A bartender was always on duty here, ready to serve patrons. To the left of the bar, one would find a railing, stairs on the left going up to a second floor, those on the right going down to the hearth. One table sat opposite the hearth, like all the rest, it was a well-built, solid Ironwood, made not to break during a fight. Here there was a few area rugs, splayed about to provide a more comfortable atmosphere around the warm fire. Opposite the table, to the right of the stairs as one went down, was the fireplace. It was heavy marble stone, set well and stacked high to provide ample light and warmth around an Alteraci inn. The fire was kept burning by magic, even when no wood was available, but most of the time, an employee would make sure the wood kept on crackling. Atop the fireplace’s mantle was a lone wolf’s head -- an alpha male, giving the inn its name. As one moved past the fireplace, looking to the left, under the stairs, more casks stood ready for use, a smaller pile than the one in the front. Barrels and crates also placed themselves there, with the food to be used for the day. Looking past this was the kitchen, with double doors keeping it mostly out of sight of the patrons. To the right of the kitchen was another bar, again always manned. This was able to serve both foods and drinks now, as the kitchen had really found a purpose. Behind the bar was more bottles and jars of drink. The kitchen, if one gained entry, was normal, with a table for the preparation of meat and a stove top grill next to it along the right wall, a heavy stove for boiling water next to that. The left held a rack of bottles that might be needed for the two bars, and then another table for the preparation of meats. In the back of the kitchen was a staircase that led down to the basement, a simple affair with a racks of wines on the right, and large and small casks piled on the left. To the rear was a closed door set in a stone wall, and inside that was a medium-sized room for storing meat, exceptionally cold, even for Alterac. In in hung butchered animals, their meat waiting to be eaten. As one moved to the second floor, there was a mid-level separating the two flights of stairs, where another table sat, smaller and made for two, against the wall. It would be easy to avoid as one climbed the stairs. At the top, one would see a line of rooms on their right, each identical on the inside. A bed was put in the far left corner, a desk for the renter’s use on the far right, with a footlocker at the base of the bed, and to the the immediate right, a soft lounge chair and crystal lamp above it for reading or relaxing, if they’d like. To the left, there was another railing with stair set against the far left. The stairway went down to a table on the left, another one built for two. More lounge chairs set about the room, a crystal lamp in each corner, and a large wool area rug in the middle of the floor -- a common lounge, for renters’ use. There would either be an open or closed window. It would hold a fairly simple design, not stained at all, but elegant enough for an inn of this caliber. If open, the covered balcony would be revealed, keeping the snow, but not the cold, out. There would be one more small table for two, and a pair of simple wooden chairs. The balcony offered no significant view, but it did allow for fresh air, should it be desired. Eagle's Perch Abbey A beacon of faith for the light-fairing folk of the Citrine Eagle; Eagle's Perch Abbey is a quiet place made for reflection and prayer for those most loyal to the Holy Light. The Abbey is a place of peace, and includes the various amenities that a person of faith may need to learn and grow as a supplicant of the Holy Light. First founded with the Bishop election of Ahnca DeBray, the construction of Eagle's Perch originated as a token of friendship and gratitude from those of the Church of the Holy Light towards the faithful of Alterac. With her death, the Chapel was then repurposed by the next Bishop Kyriel Eliesionne, and rennovated specifically for use within the Citrine Eagle. Unfortunately, like the Bishop before him, he died shortly after taking office. In honor of their names, and their legacies, the Citrine Eagle has expanded on the Chapel even further, upgrading it with additional rooms, floors and features to make it a fully fledged place of learning for Acolytes and Aspirants alike. The main room of the Abbey is the chapel hall, furnished with four rows of pews on either side, separated in the center to provide an ample alleyway for services. A stage with a small altar rests ahead of that, backed by a simple stain glass window depicting the late General Hath and his men standing on a mountaintop with their weapons raised. This chapel then leads to two side areas; one of which is a library containing a bounty of texts covering its shelves. There are areas to sit and write, as well as some busts of famed heroes resting on some stands. Hath, Faol, Uther, and others included. The other room is a recreational area to sit and discuss in an open room. There are several chairs, and a round table in the center. It was a fairly humble building, with a garden on it's right side, and a few Alterac Mastiffs wandering the area; but, it serves its purpose. The small cemetery is also present on the abbey grounds. The Aviary The Aviary in Talongrab is the first tower next to the inner gate. This place was requested by Shindo Malphur when he joined the Flock so he may bring his birds from his aviary in Stormwind to Alterac. Looking at the tower’s top, you’d see birds of various shapes and sizes flying in and out. Upon entering, you’d see a large bed of hay. This was for the hawkstrider of one Shin’ora Hawkfeather, another member of the Eagles, who is assisting Shindo in the Aviary. As you head up the stairs, one would see hovels in the walls for birds to roost. This would be leading all the way to the top of the tower. Beyond the door, you’d find that the room in the tower was very large, and completely closed off, save for two large openings. This would be where the birds enter or exit from. Around the room would be many perches, hovels, or anything else birds can perch onto. Across the room would be a desk for the one who runs the Aviary. It has an inkwell with a large plumage quill sticking out of it. Stacks of papers are weighed down by paperweights. One looking like Shindo’s helmet. The various species of bird one would find in the Aviary would be owls, (Azerothian and Kailari), ravens, cockatiel, pidgeon, a pair of hawks and a pair of Eagles. Oddly enough, these birds aren’t trying to prey upon each other, as they are very well trained. In the center of the room was a large roost for Huggin, Shindo’s Dread Raven mount. Moving around the floor of the Aviary are small Apexis machines. Shindo had gotten these gifts from separate people over the years, and he’s tasked them with maintaining the Aviary when he is not around. They clean and feed the birds, but also guard the tower and it’s denizens. The Sanctum The Sanctum is a building that stands out from the common human-style structures in Talongrab. Its design consists of a domed structure with newly added space off of its sides near the back, on top, and to its side with large, circular rooms that orbit around the main place. The main room, which is the first one seen upon entry, is circular in shape with elegant elven designs all around the walls. Off to the side is a desk where Jolaini Reneigh often spends her time, even though most can see her right upon entry. The room itself is fairly blank, only with stacks of cushions to use as seats. At the back of the room is a large, intricately-designed door that opens into the library. Another circular room, this place is filled with bookcases with curved backs to fit the design of the room to fit as many bookcases in as possible. These bookcases stack neatly on top of each other and are filled with books upon books. The ceiling of the room is outstanding: constellations made from magic light up the room when it is dark, and in the center of the room is a spinning orb of translocation. It can only be activated by a select few, though: the mages of the Magical Association of New Alterac, and it is guarded with a magical ward that only those mages know how to disable. The orb leads to the top of the sanctum where one part of the vault of magical relics lies. With another orb of translocation in the center, only one mage knows how to access the next parts of the vault as those relics are much more valuable, and only with her permission can others go into it. Podiums and glass cases filled with artifacts envelop each room, and the other two parts of the vault are the orbiting sphere rooms around the sanctum outside. Residential District The residential district of Talongrab is a place where all citizens and Eagles can congregate outside of their work to purchase goods, settle down, and enjoy themselves. This area is made so others might be able to live in peace away from the training and business that take place in the upper levels of Talongrab. This is the main area of commerce, trade, and the focal point of day to day life within Talongrab. The residential district is an area of homes that surround the market square. These homes are those either populated by members of the Citrine Eagle - or other businesses within Talongrab. The market Square itself is a location bustling with business and the sale of various trade goods - mostly through single-manned carts or small family stands and small businesses. There is a proper sewer system, but water is collected through the pumps that dot the district, and the town. Forge of Ydalf An ancient forge sought after by the Eagles for some time. Sir Kavid "Slick" McTash took up the quest to find the Tools of Ydalf in the early days of The Citrine Eagles, and with Sir Shindo Malphur taking the quest up as the Eagles' Forgemaster, it is complete. Underneath Talongrab Keep, in an old cellar, Shindo put together the Tools of Ydalf together and recreated the Forge. The door is normally locked tight, the only key being on the Forgemaster's person. One would need to gain permission and entry with the current Forgemaster to go inside. The forge is home to many infamous tools that are kept safely inside. Category:Places Category:The Citrine Eagle Category:House of Blackmoore Category:Alterac Locations Category:Alterac Mountains Locations Category:Talongrab Locations